Flatland · Chapter
XIII: How I Had a Vision of Lineland explained
The Square dreams of Lineland, a one-dimensional world inhabited by Lines and Points.
What happens
The Square dreams of Lineland, a one-dimensional world inhabited by Lines and Points. He converses with the King of Lineland, who is ignorant of any dimension beyond his own line. The King explains the social and marital customs of Lineland, including marriage by vocal harmony and the necessity of two wives per man to maintain population balance.
Themes in this chapter
Perception and Reality
The Square's dream reveals how the Lineland King's perception of reality is limited to his one-dimensional existence, mirroring the Square's own initial ignorance of higher dimensions.
Knowledge and Ignorance
The King's ignorance of anything beyond his line is contrasted with the Square's broader understanding, highlighting the theme of limited knowledge.
Gender and Patriarchy
The Lineland marriage system, where each man must wed two wives, reflects patriarchal assumptions about gender roles and reproduction.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator (A Square)
Dreams of Lineland and interacts with its King, attempting to understand the one-dimensional world.
- The Isosceles
Not directly present; the Lineland King refers to his subjects, including small Lines (men) and Points (women), but no specific Isosceles character appears.
Key passages
“I saw before me a vast multitude of small Straight Lines (which I naturally assumed to be women) interspersed with other beings still smaller and of the nature of lustrous points—all moving to and fro in one and the same Straight Line”
The Square sees many small lines and points moving back and forth along a single line.
Describes the initial vision of Lineland.
“I am no woman. I am the Monarch of the world. But thou, whence intrudest thou into my realm of Lineland?”
The King of Lineland corrects the Square's assumption and asks how he entered.
The King asserts his identity and authority.
“Nature having herself ordained that every man should wed two wives—”
The King explains that each man must marry two women by natural law.
Describes the marital custom of Lineland.